In Search of a National Identity: Creole and Politics in Guadeloupe - Softcover

Guadeloupe (as well as Martinique, Guyana, and Reunion) is one of the former colonies of France that chose to remain tied to the mother country rather than seeking independence following World War II. Through the law of political assimilation, these territories became departements d'outre-mer. Departmentalization, however, failed to bring about full social and economic equality. As political integration increased economic and commercial dependency on France, the pressure of homogenization to the French model precipitated the loss of cultural autonomy in the former colonies. This case study of the Creole movement (mouvement creole) in Guadeloupe analyzes three key sites of conflict - the schools, the media, and the political process.

Ellen M. Schnepel is an independent scholar and research fellow at the Research Institute for the Study of Man (RISM) in New York City.